Toy torpedo.



A. F. CLARK. TOY TORPEDO. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23, i916.

Patented May 7,1918

lnvenTor. Allen F. CIQTK byWM-IW Atfys.

, JUNITED STATESVPATENT "OFFICE.

ALLEN F. CLARK, OF WEST HANOVEQRI, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL FIREWORKS DISTRIBUTING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION or ARIZONA. I

TOY TOBPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1918.

Application filed October 23, 1916. Serial No. 127,074.

.characters. on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a novel form of toy torpedoes. The present toy torpedoes are therein.

commonly made of gravel or like bits of various hard materials, and the 'detonating bursting or explosive charge is placed loosely This mass is then inclosed by a paper cover and may be exploded by throw ing against a hard substance. Such torpedoes have proven dangerous in that the parts of gravel and other hard substances are'driven by the explosion in all directions and injury to the person results. Such inherent danger is obviated in this improved torpedo by the employment of a? substance which is instantly turned to or reverts to powdered form under the force of the explosion. Further, this toy torpedo is more easily assembled, handled and transported and may be conveniently thrown, both with greater force and to greater distances than the paper and gravel prototypes.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel, improved toy torpedo.

A more specific object is to produce a toy torpedo 'the body portion of which is reduced to soft powder-like form by the explosion of its charge.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the completed, wrapped toy torpedo of the form of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the torpedo shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the torpedo shown in Fig. 2. g The selected embodiment of this invention s shown in the accompanying drawings in which the torpedo body portion 1 is formed of a substance adapted to be reduced to a relatively finely divided state by the explosion of the charge. To this end, the body portions of these toy torpedoes are preferably formed of an argillaceous substance such has clay, which may be reduced substantially to a powdered state and manipulated into the desired form and thereafter hardened and so retained. Clay has been found to constitute a desirable substance for this purpose and is the material of which the tor- -pedoeshere shown are formed.

. The step which is preferably first taken in this process of making these toy torpedoes is thoroughly to dry the clay, or similar argillaceous substance, which usually is found in lump form. An easy mode is simply to place the lumps in the sun although, of course, when conditions demand, it may artifically be dried. The second step is to reduce the clay to a finely divided state, substantially to a powder-like form. This step is taken so that upon the explosion of the toy torpedo the body will revert to this relatively soft finely divided state and the danger of large, hard, flying particles is obvi- I ated. This reduction may easily be accomplished by the ordinary rolling or grinding machine or other instrumentality functioning to that end. The'third step is to place a quantity of this finely divided substance in molds, and putting the mass under pressure preferably forming a torpedo body portion having a recess therein; the fourth step is one which may be omitted if desired and consists of baking or firing the compressed molded mass in order to harden the same. The fifth step is to place the explosive charge within the recess formed in the molded body portion; and sixth, to seal the recess. This last step is usually effected by adhesively securing a complementary body portion to the recessed portion. The completed body may then be smoothly coated with glue and have added thereto a covering of paper, the ends of which are twisted with glue to form a tail-like appendage.

While these body portions may be made in various shapes and forms and of varying numbers of parts, it is preferred to form these toy torpedoes of two complementary parts.v In Figs. 4 and 5, the body portions .are shown as formed of two'symmetrical An inteexplosive fulminate of silver or the potash and phosphorous compounds. Fulmin'ate of silver is preferably used. While the interior recess may be providedin any suitable manner, it has been found preferable to form complementary recesses in each of the component parts of the torpedo body. A more or less heaping charge, as-desired, may be placed in one of the complementary recesses and, upon assemblage of the parts,

the charge may be completely held by'the complementarily formed recess. The means herein selected to bind and retain the -complementary parts together is an adhesive,

- such as glue 6. The glue is placed around the circumferential rim of either recess and when the complementary part is pressed thereon, it is securely retained. Preferably,

the thus-formed torpedo is covered with paper and may be without a tailor be pro.-

- vided with a twisted end portion to which dangers due to flying hard particles such as paste is added to form atail 7. This twistedtail impart better direction to pedo relatively rigid may function to thethrown tortoy torpedo which aflords a loudsounding explosion, which substantially completely bursts into fine, soft fragments and obviates gravel and small stones. It is. very\easy to There is thus provided a novel and useful throw, relatively simple and inexpensive in production costs and -more durable in trans portation and handling.

It is to be understood that the construction disclosed herein is illustrative but not fied within the meaning and scope ,of the claims which follow.

Having thus described mgy invention, what ters Patent, is:

restrictive and that the same may be modi- H I claim as new and desire to secure by Letv 1. The process of making toy torpedoes consisting: first, of reducing a quantity of argillaceous substance to powder-like form; second, of compressing such substance in a mold and forming a recess in the molded substance third, of inserting an explosive charge in said recess; and fourth, of sealing said recess. v

2. The process of making toy torpedoes I consisting ofreducing'a quantity of argillaceous material to a .substantially powder form, compressing the said powdered material to the desired shape 'of torpedo body, baking said shaped body to harden the same, forming a recess in said body, insertmg an explosive'charge in said and sealing said recess.

3.;J1he process of making to? torpedoes consisting of drying a quantity of clay, re-

ducing the dried clay to powder-like form, 1

compressing the substantially powdered clayin a mold and forming a recess in the molded clay, inserting an explosive charge in said recess and-'seallng said recess.

i. A toy torpedo comprising a body portion formed by pulverized argillaceous sub stance shaped under, pressure in substantially a dry state,said bodyportion being formed of" complementary members providing an interior recess to receive an .explos'ive charge, whereby upon explosion of the torpedo the body portion will revert to powder-like form.

t In testimony I ALLEN F. CLARK.

whereof, I. have signed my name to this specification. 

